Physician, Heal Thyself

Alan Alda, who must know a few things about emergency surgery in foreign locales from the 11 years he spent starring on TV's ''M*A*S*H,'' went under the knife himself in Chile on Sunday after falling ill while filming an astronomy documentary for PBS, Reuters reports. The 67-year-old underwent surgery for an intestinal blockage and was said to be recovering well at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in La Serena, 290 miles north of the Chilean capital, Santiago.

The artist formerly known as Hawkeye has been the host of PBS' ''Scientific American Frontiers'' for seven years. He was shooting an episode on location at a massive telescope in the Andes when he was rushed to the hospital. An official there told the Associated Press that Alda would likely be released on Tuesday.

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